I feel so amazingly blessed to be able to stay at home with my babies and share moments and make memories with them every single day. But, sometimes, I need some damn alone time.
Seriously though, there is absolutely nothing wrong with needing a break. Any other job would REQUIRE you to take 15-minute, 30-minute, even 1-hour breaks depending on the amount of hours you are working. I know that in the land of unicorn’s and rainbows we’d like to all say that being a housewife is a privilege and not a job, but we need to give ourselves more credit and recognize when to step away!
Before I continue, I’d like to admit that I am the absolute worst at this. Most of the time, when I ask for a timeout, I end up missing my boys so much that I just give up go back to playing with them anyways. Or, I hear my husband and kids having a hard time downstairs and figure that it would just be easier if I was there and helping out. Unfortunately, this is a real problem for me because I end up getting cranky and resentful at my husband who was the one encouraging that I take some time for myself in the first place.
Mommy timeouts not only benefit the Mommy, they give the kids an opportunity to not be too reliant on one parent, and also allow for the Mommy and the babies to get a break from one another (you get sick of them, don’t you think they get sick of you?). I also notice that I am a lot more patient and a lot more enjoyable to be around when I give myself a break every-so-often.
Recognizing WHEN you need a timeout is easy, figuring out what to do when you finally get it can be the challenging part. Onetime, I actually told Scott that for my alone time I just wanted to go upstairs in our room, lock the door, and just be…alone. But, if you are looking for more exciting things to do, then here are a few ideas:
- A hot bubble bath-I must warn you that unless you have a large house or a two story house, you may struggle with achieving actual peace and quiet with this option. We have a two story house and I still have to submerge myself underwater every once in a while in order to drown out the fussy baby and hyper toddler. Pair it with a glass of wine and some music, however, and you may just be giving yourself 30-minutes of pure Mommy bliss.
- Trip to the Nail Salon-Sometimes it just feels good to have your cuticles cut and your calluses scraped away. Okay, so I don’t think I’m selling you there, but most women know what the task entails but we love it anyways! There is just something good about the final product and being able to wear flip flops comfortably afterwards.
- A trip to Target…ALONE-This one is well-known among Moms already. Buy a Starbucks, cruise through the Home Decor aisles browsing at the stuff that you wish you had, decorate your dream living room with all the stuff you can’t actually buy because you’ve already spent too much money on Starbucks…you know the drill. The warning for this one is, of course, that you risk spending A LOT of money with this option.
- Girls night out- Change into something other than yoga pants, and put on that jewelry that would probably break in 5 minutes if you wore it around your children. You love your husband and your kids, but sometimes you just need another woman to vent with. Share your honest mommy stories, give advice, ask for advice, and have a cocktail or two. Nursing? that’s fine…just enjoy a dinner you didn’t have to cook, that your able to eat while its still hot!
- Gym/workout session-My favorite of all the options, mainly because its a productive way to spend your timeout. It allows you to burn some calories while also relieving some stress! I always feel like my mind has been cleared and I am much more capable of handling whatever the day has in store for me once I get a 1-hour workout in.
Are there any specific places that you enjoy going to in order to get your Mommy timeout? What about any stress relieving hobbies or activities? Sometimes its just a matter of finding what you love (other than being a Mommy) and just finding the time to do it!
Share your Mommy timeouts in the comments section!
REAL Motherhood Experiences 